"Fodder" is a very casual collection of the stories and subjects which we're following for possible discussion in a future episode of the Uncontrolled Airspace podcast.

Wednesday, August 08, 2007

EAA, AOPA, NBAA All Urge Pilot Action for H.R. 2881

Congress is in recess, so most are spending the month someplace close to their hearts -- collecting re-election funds and courting voters...a good time for GA pilots to give their home-state lawmakers a piece of their minds.

EAA just sent an "Urgent Member Dispatch" urging their following to contact their members of Congress to express their unabashed opposition to user fees -- any user fees no matter how easy the target may be, lest it open the door to more fees down the road. AOPA And NBAA are doing much the same.

The airlines, meanwhile, are busy with their propaganda machinery, lying about why delays are at a 13-year high, about how only user fees can assure ATC modernization, and ignoring their own influence via hub-airport saturation, beyond-capacity scheduling practices and the increase in their own fleets even as their seating capacity declined (far more smaller jets flying more segments...)

Folks, the honorable members of Congress return from their August recess on Sept. 7 -- they need to have heard from all us us, directly, through their home-state offices, their Washington offices, and in person if the chance presents itself.

With Congress so willing to negate Constitutional protections, we can't trust them to make the smart decision on their own -- so shout it out, again and again and again and again...

Once this fight ends, I'll shut up about this...unless any segment of aviation -- GA in particular -- gets awarded a new user fee...then, I may never stop carping. And you don't want that, do you ?

1 Comments:

CBC is reporting that since we (in the great white north) have satellite systems we don't have as many delays. What? Some quick Googling found this press release from Nav Canada. Since ADS-B is already in use in Alaska, apparently all the US need do is install Wide Area Multilateration in a few places and everyone will be back on schedule. It has been long known that traffic in Vancouver harbor and around Fort St. John were the cause of all the delays at Person. But of course to emulate Nav Canada's success you must swallow privatization and user fees. Pardon me while I go fish my tongue out of my cheek.